Web of the Crystal
by Silvanus16
Summary: SEQUEL to Without the Mask! Clef's remnants have been found drifting through space. No one has taken this loss closer to heart than Lord Ryuuzaki. Having seen his daughter in a new light, he challenges her soul: Resurrect the Guru or lose everything.
1. The Rift

Surprise!!! Guess a misconception got me to thinking about this storyline again. Here we go!

Anyway,**the story so far**, since I know it's been a very long time. The mysterious Guru was revealed as Clef –who was formerly known as Zenosis– after he was hung in the gallows. Umi broke the Children of the Stars' spell with Ascot's help and announced her love for Clef just as the trapdoor opened beneath his feet. Though he was a walking corpse at this point, the Guru still managed to resurrect Lady Ryuuzaki, Lilia, and appear before Ryuuzaki personally. After nearly killing himself in the process, Ryuuzaki freed the Guru from Death, who came for him later anyway. Death, a.k.a. Sandara, broke Clef's spirit during a game of chess. Umi lived the match through her dreams and has no idea that her dream is what happened between two immortals "playing God" as Death put it. Before Death could claim him, Clef unraveled himself in the way that is tradition for the Eosye Kespa upon death. If they come to believe in their souls that their reason for living is forever out of their reach, they commit a form of suicide, but _it is not death!!_

Now the story continues…

* * *

Without the Mask II: Web of the Crystal

Chapter 1: The Rift

Death scowled, watching her prize fracture and shatter until only a tiny pinpoint of light survived, only to be devoured by the black hole.

"And then there were five," Death growled. She turned toward the chessboard then suddenly turned back as something flashed out of the corner of her eye. "What's this?" A tiny blip of light flashed by the gaping mouth of the black hole then zoomed away before the force pull could catch it. "A ship?" She cocked her head curiously. "I wonder… did they catch it? Is what's left of the sixth Eosye aboard now?"

A malicious glint turned her eyes jet black as demon creases bent the smooth lines of her brow into something black and twisted. "You must be the luckiest soul in existence."

* * *

"What is it Geo?"

Geo swiveled in his chair and locked eyes with his captain as Eagle entered the bridge. "Our scanners picked up something moving toward the black hole, but it wasn't space junk. It matched a Cephirian energy signature, so we grabbed it; you know, since we're on such good terms with Cephiro and all."

"But it's too small to be anything at all," Zazu chimed in as he carefully examined the debris in the dish in front of him. His eye was five times its size through the goggles over his face. "It has a Cephirian biological imprint alright, but it's almost like… I dunno how to explain it. Have a look." He handed the goggles to Eagle and leaned away as Eagle squinted at the trail of crystal dust.

The crystal dust somehow reminded him of living tissue, cryogenically frozen and pallid. Something in his chest gave a sickened twist and he tore his eyes away from the sample. He swept his gaze over the scanner and read out charts on the screen. "It's definitely something from Cephiro. The DNA strands are laced with the extra genome group, must be the element for magic. But this…" he paused and held his breath as he looked at the sample again. "This couldn't have come from Cephiro. It's too far away and the rate of disintegration." He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. _Why do I feel like I did after Clef's execution? Like there's been a great loss? _"Zazu, take this to the lab and preserve it. Run it through the DNA matches, I want to know who's this is. Maybe there's someone out there who can't send out a distress signal."

"It'd be impossible to find them Eagle!" Geo exclaimed. "Without some sort of signal we're not going to find anything!"

Eagle opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and bowed his head. "I know that, Geo."

"I'll run this through the program," Zazu said slowly as he moved out of the bridge, carrying the sample dish reverently as he went.

"Zazu," Eagle called after him.

Zazu jumped but the dish barely moved in his hands. "Yeah?"

"Contact Councilman Clef on Cephiro. Find out if any travelers have been reported missing."

Zazu and Geo dropped their jaws. "Clef??" Geo finally said. "I thought he was dead."

Eagle smiled and shook his head. "Oh no. Clef couldn't be killed by a simple hangman's noose."

Geo raised a thick eyebrow. "What do you mean? Most guys would die from that."

Eagle shook his head again. "Clef's not like most men. Do you remember the man who was in the mess hall with me? He had short brown hair and steely eyes."

Zazu shivered. "Yeah, I remember him. Something wasn't right about him."

Geo nodded curtly.

"That man's name was Zenosis," Eagle said. "He and Clef are the same person, yet both of them are the Guru of Cephiro."

Geo scrunched his brow. "I don't understand."

"The Guru of Cephiro is the one who truly lead the reformations. He's an immortal being who assumed the identity of Zenosis, and then Clef after Zenosis supposedly died. That way he could still be an active part of the reformations."

Geo was scratching his head through Eagle's explanation. "That… doesn't make much sense to me. But you lived there through that civil war era."

"How are those search results coming Zazu?" Eagle asked with a smile.

Zazu jumped again then quickly marched out off the bridge. Eagle took a seat at the head of the bridge and began charting the course for their next destination when Geo swiveled his chair toward him.

"One thing bothers me, Eagle," Geo said. "Why would an immortal be so interested in the Cephirian reformations?"

"I never really asked him," Eagle said with a soft smile. "I'd assume that he thought he could help. I believe I heard Lord Ryuuzaki mentioned once that he had met the Guru personally. I suspect there was a friendship between Lord Ryuuzaki and the Guru. Maybe that led to a personal investment for the Guru."

"Hmm."

"Something wrong?"

"I'm just trying to work out how that dust got out this far, given its deterioration rate. We are three hundred thousand light years from Cephiro. If it's from Cephiro, there's no way it could have made the distance. Even then, and I don't think Zazu mentioned this when you got on the bridge, but the sample transported itself onboard."

Eagle's eyes widened. "So it's a living entity."

"That would be my guess, definitely some sort of intelligence there."

The PA system breathed through the speakers, but Zazu didn't speak right away. "Well Eagle, I've got some good news."

"Okay."

"The good news is the dust has stabilized. When I put it in the scanner it turned to a small crystal. That made it easier for the scanners…"

"Go on Zazu."

"There's some bad news. When that explosion happened, I set the ship's computer to record as much of the data as possible. I didn't get the whole event but… well, see for yourself."

Eagle looked down at his screen as the data scrolled through the entire file. His eyes glanced over the information until he got down to the energy signatures. The electron emissions involved made his brow sweat. How could there be something like lightning in the vacuum of space? The readings were bordering the top of the charts. The thermal energy readings were exceedingly off the charts and the new data coming in showed that the energy was causing a rift in the space beside them, pinning them between the opening rift and the black hole. "Set a course for 67 Andrian and 48 Comaque."

"Right," Geo replied.

The ship had just started to pull itself when Zazu's voice came back over the PA. "The heat signatures left from the explosion all have the same Cephirian imprint as the crystal, even the energy trails left by whatever jettisoned itself from the explosion." He paused, "so I've got bad news, and really bad news. The bad news is I couldn't get ahold of Clef on Cephiro. But I found out who our… guest is."

Eagle gripped the arms of his chair and held his breath as the viewing screen flashed on and the pixels started taking colors and contours. The profile was the regular Autozam person profile, complete with expressionless mugshot, name in bold print, and bland facts. Cerulean eyes glanced uncertainly over a hurried smile. Eagle remembered what Clef had said when they forced him in the seat: "Am I supposed to smile?" The Recorder had flashed moments after Clef managed to quickly compose his features.

**CLEF TENAGA**

_Cephirian Councilman_

Age: 26 (by Cephirian calendar)

Origin: N/A

Training: N/A

Magic Level: N/A

Appointment: N/A

Current Status: **Deceased**

Eagle buried his face in his hands and slumped in his chair. "Run it again!" he ordered.

"I did, three times," Zazu responded quietly.

Eagle sighed, "Geo, set a course for Cephiro, get us there as fast as you can. Zazu, prepare that crystal for transport."

Geo and Zazu complied silently. The PA closed and Eagle leaned over his control panel. "Connect me with Lord Ryuuzaki."

_"Transmitting…"_

There were a series of soft beeps before a high pitched pop. Ryuuzaki's voice growled through the speakers on Eagle's panel. "I thought I'd destroyed all of these, but your trickery knows no bounds it seems."

"I apologize for the intrusion Lord, but-"

"I don't care!" Ryuuzaki snarled. "You are not welcome on Cephiro. Not you, or your crew and ship."

"I understand, and I know I won't be anymore welcome after the conclusion of this message."

"Consider it concluded!"

"We've picked up what remains of Councilman Clef."

"…"

"Are you there?"

"How did you know he was missing?"

"For how long?"

"My daughter just now returned from headquarters and could not find him."

"Who is that father?"

Eagle's stomach kicked as Umi's voice came through the panels. "It's me, Lady Ryuuzaki."

"Go to hell Eagle!"

Geo dropped his jaw. "What did she say??"

Eagle held up his hand to Geo and continued speaking to the panel. Geo reluctantly sat down in his chair and clenched his fists on his knees.

"Hush Umi," Ryuuzaki said. Umi grumbled something but Eagle couldn't make it out. "Continue Captain."

"The NSX was traveling toward Gyron when a spacial anomaly erupted near a black hole. The eruption gave off significant electronic and thermal emissions, neither of which are subsiding. It's opened a rift in space. A small substance transported itself onto our vessel. We've studied it as much as time has allowed and have found that it matches the biological imprint of Clef Tenaga."

"… I see." Ryuuzaki's voice was strained. "I will speak to King Ferio and see if I can't arrange a brief docking period for your ship. Cephiro will expect that you return whatever it is you found along with your information so our sorcerers can confirm."

"Understood. Thank y-"

The transmission severed.

"I thought you said this Clef was already dead," Geo said lowly, he was still fuming from Umi's words toward his captain.

"Clef did suffer the hangman's noose, but he's immortal. I don't understand… The Guru did survive! He was in our mess hall! And if the Guru survived then Clef must have. He wouldn't take a new identity because of Lady Ryuuzaki. He'd use 'Clef Tenaga' because that's the name the people knew. There would be a great celebration if the people knew he'd survived the execution! Why would he come all the way out here just to commit suicide??"

"But part of him survived didn't it?" Geo snorted. "Can't believe I'm talking about it like this. It's like we found an arm or leg and we're treating it like the heart."

"There's no way of knowing if the part is indeed alive or not," Eagle said as he massaged his brow in tired circles. "Even if it is, there's no use comparing it to the whole."

_There's barely enough for a burial…_

* * *

The ball's not rolling yet, but I do expect incentive to get the ball rolling. (wink) So at least **3 reviews** please. You'll have time because I still have to get the last chapter of Quest for the Ardoneh up.

**Signing off...**

**Silvanus16**


	2. Promise of Change

I have to thank Dragon of Winter Nights for the inspiration for this chapter. If you're reading this DoWN, I'm still waiting for the next chapter of _Protecting You_, which was the inspiration. Hopefully, I didn't rip of Kuregu; I really tried to make this new guy my own.

And thanks to angelwing for the first, and only... review this story has thus far.

Disclaimer: duh

* * *

Chapter 2: Promise of Change

Ryuuzaki absentmindedly swirled the red liquor in his glass, having completely forgotten he held the crystal glass as he stared at the mahogany surface of his desk. No thoughts crossed his mind as his eyes slightly flicked back and forth, trying to draw his mind's attention. He didn't stir when a soft tap hit his door.

"Come," he said flatly.

Lilia peered into the room. "The Lord Rajin is here to see you, love."

He nodded and she left the door ajar, only to return a moment later. Ryuuzaki didn't look up as a steely haired man entered and slowly crossed the room to stand on the opposite side of Ryuuzaki's desk. The man's heavy black cloak covered one shoulder and slowly billowed behind his steps. His heavy green-velvet suit hugged his tall form and accented the silver glint off the sword hanging from his belt. He looked coldly down on Ryuuzaki as he still swirled the crystal glass.

The man's black eyes narrowed and he turned with military stiffness toward Ryuuzaki's liquor cabinet and poured himself a draft.

"Please, by all means, help yourself," Ryuuzaki said, trying to mute the sarcasm. He didn't have time to be worrying about the Reformations, which Lord Rajin had undoubtedly come to remind him of. If the Guru was dead… He couldn't put a finger on the emotion clouding his mind. It was as if he was in mourning, having lost a son and the shock had yet to hit him. All would be clarified and put to rest when Commander Vision arrived with what he claimed were the Guru's remains.

"Thank you, I think I will," the man said tersely before he sniffed the bouquet then downed the glass like a shot. He put the glass quietly on the tray beneath the cabinet and turned toward Ryuuzaki. "I understand these are trying times, for all of us. But the people expect certain actions from you, my Lord Ryuuzaki. Actions you have neglected as of late," he paused then added, "with no fault of your own. Please do not misunderstand me, I mean no disrespect. To have finally had a suitor for your daughter, an heir to the Ryuuzaki clan, and then to have him publicly executed!- I can see where that would steal a man's steam.

"But the masquerade is over and your daughter is safe within the manor again," he leaned in over Ryuuzaki's desk, "the Reformations _must_ recommence."

"Cannot the King see to the Public Protection Council? I have family mattered to attend to at present."

Rajin narrowed his black eyes and lifted his nose. He took a seat, perching on the edge of the chair. "My lord," he said lowly, "the King only has so much influence over the people. Their allegiance is not yet won. One slip and the riots will start again. He'll be dethroned in a single hour and then they will come for you… me… and our fellow Lords."

"Then perhaps you should invest more of your wealth in food stock for the people's benefit rather than your horses," Ryuuzaki growled.

"I could say the same about toward your taste in spirits." Rajin's voice rolled from his throat like quiet thunder. He lifted his nose again, straightening his back, and peering down at Ryuuzaki. "Irregardless of our private expenses, the time for faith has passed."

Ryuuzaki cut his eyes up at Rajin. He knew exactly where this conversation was going before the next word slithered from Rajin's tongue.

Rajin continued, the resolve in his eyes as steely as his long hair and as unrelenting as his posture, "It is time the people face fact. This fairytale of an immortal being watching over Cephiro in the Pillar's passing was ingenious on your part, but it is time to wean the masses. Any man or woman with a descent education could see through it from the beginning.

"The former Councilman would have made this withdrawl process difficult, but his untimely death, I believe, may yet serve the greater purpose. As I'm sure you're aware, having Tenaga in place as Councilman still tied the fairytale to the foundation stone. Now that a new Councilman will be elected, the reality movement will be a natural phase for the people."

"Just how do you propose we 'wean' the people from the one source of hope they have had for nearly a decade?" Ryuuzaki growled lowly, trying to restrain the malice in his voice.

Rajin had never been a visionary, except in any way that would have suited him personally. He had no imagination, but his financial supplementation had been quintessential. The only factor that kept Ryuuzaki from blocking all other words that left Rajin's mouth was the fact that he stayed throughout the rioting period, despite the fact that he had a perfectly safe summer house on Depthi.

Ryuuzaki didn't care what direction the Reformations took with this so called 'image' the people had been clinging to. He knew that if the Guru was still alive, if his worst fears hadn't come to fruition, then Umi's wedding day would ensure the people knew the truth. He could wait for the unveiling… There was no doubt in his mind the Guru would remain on Cephiro, make it his home, and denounce his responsibilities as Eosye Kespa.

One thing troubled him about the latter. He knew nothing about how Eosey Kespa were chosen, or how they could dodge fate, only that they had to chose one ultimate goal to live for.

Rajin quietly surveyed Ryuuzaki before continuing, measuring his options, Ryuuzaki's expression and body language. "A simple lie to bridge the transition," he said finally. "The people do honestly believe this farce, and it has kept them quiet. We shall release a statement, signed by the Guru, of course, that he has fulfilled his duties to the planet and its people. He will state that he has complete faith in the Reformers and thus he has left for a new world in need of his services and guidance."

Ryuuzaki shook his head, "Any man or woman with a decent education would find the flaw in that immediately. You forget, the Guru spoke at Clef's execution. It is not in his character to say anything _straightforward_, and even less would believe he would leave in the wake of the Councilman's execution, when the only service to protect the people has no leader. He has presented himself as a logical man, though he never speaks logically."

"So you think the people will not find comfort in such a statement? You believe they will not be relieved to find their own destinies may finally be shaped with their own hands?"

Ryuuzaki shook his head. "That change must be gradual as well. Princess Emeraude has not yet been gone more than fifteen years. In years of her absence, the people have seen that their hearts are filled with nothing but fear and resentment."

"We shall have to explain her disappearance as well shant we?"

"Again, a suspicious turn. To come out with the truth after so many years…"

"Sorcerers, politicians, and the greatest minds of Cephiro never had _time_ to ponder on the nature of her disappearance. As I recall, the sun set that night on the Old Cephiro then we all woke up to a red sun rise and perdition ever since-"

"This is something we must discuss with the Lords and his majesty," Ryuuzaki interjected. Rajin clenched his jaw. "I will not be persuaded until I have heard all opinions." He added in a low rumble, "and I will not be persuaded in my beliefs, even then. Good day, Rajin."

Rajin stood stiffly, the muscles in his arm clenched, and gave Ryuuzaki the slightest of nods before turning on his heel and marching to the door. He paused with his hand on the knob and turned to look at Ryuuzaki. "We have much to discuss when the Lords convene," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Ryuuzaki clenched his teeth then let his breath out in a hiss after Rajin's cloak slithered around the doorframe and out of sight. "I hate that man…"

The light in Rajin's eye vanished as soon as he left Ryuuzaki's study. His features turned dark and his eyes were empty. The mechanical march of his feet took him to the head of the grand stair and something made him stop. He lifted his chin and surveyed the room, finding Umi and Hikaru staring at him from the passage on his right. Umi glared coldly and he smiled; if his crooked smirk could count as a smile. "Milady," he said as he bowed his head. "Taking your servant for a walk?"

Umi stormed up to him, "You will mind your tongue when you speak to my friends!"

"Since when do you befriend the house help?" She swung at him but he caught her by the wrist. He jerked her in close until his pointed nose was almost touching hers. "Be mindful, milady, Cephiro is still in a state of chaos. I would think twice before raising a hand to an ally." He leaned in close to her ear. "I guarantee your father will need all allegiance he has within the next few days. He has surprisingly few where it matters."

She yanked her arm out of his grasp and stared at him wide eyed. "My father has been the leader of the Reformations for years," she said lowly, her voice shaking. "Cephiro will not turn on him, now or ever!"

Those were the words she believed, but the confident gleam in his eyes made her doubt.

Rajin's smirk broadened and he slowly circled around her, then made his way to Hikaru. "And you, little urchin," he breathed as he slowly walked around behind her. "Just because your fiancé currently holds the Councilman title, doesn't mean he will hold it after the election." He paused behind her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "What do you think will happen? If Lantis fails to win the vote?"

"He won't," Hikaru said, but her voice nearly caught in her throat.

"Lantis has never been seen by the people. He merely followed in Clef's footsteps. Now… Clef is dead-"

"I think you've said your peace," Umi growled.

"Yes," Rajin said after a pause, "perhaps I have." The smirk wouldn't leave his face as he slowly descended the stair.

"King Ferio will hear of your treachery," Umi said.

"Treachery?" Rajin mocked without turning. "Promises of change are hardly treachery, nor threat." He put his hand on the grand door and pushed. Light poured down on him, gleaming on his steely hair. Umi would have sworn she saw him turn and grin, but his features in silhouette were impossible to tell. "Good day," he said as he let the door close behind him.

Umi watched the door close, determined to tell her father, then remembered the unspoken threat. What if her father really wasn't as popular as she believed? She knew he had allies, powerful allies, but Rajin had made them sound like paper dolls. And he hardly blinked when she mentioned King Ferio. He practically promised Hikaru that Lantis would be voted out of office.

Hikaru walked up to Umi and wrapped her arms around her, shaking. Umi put her arms around Hikaru, both of them wishing to substitute each other for the safety of their lover's embrace.

* * *

Not my style is it? Such a short chapter. But this one pretty much told me it was done when I got to this point so I said: "okay, I won't fight it."

REVIEWS PLEASE!! I don't care if it's just to give me a cookie. The more reviews I get will dictate how quickly I get the next chapter up. And I promise, the real plot will be revealed in the next chapter.

**Silvanus16**

**signing out...**


	3. Ultimate Betrayal

Took me a while. This chapter's actually been done for quite some time. Since hits are going well, I figured I'd post it. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: The Ultimate Betrayal

_One week later…_

Umi heard the heavy front door swing shut as her father left. It was midday; he was due to convene with the other Lords, but she didn't care what politicians had to say. They had no power over anything…

Six days since Eagle had visited Cephiro. His visit was brief. He left as her father summoned a sorcerer to the manor to confirm Eagle's claims. Eagle hadn't stayed long enough to hear the verdict; he already knew. The sorcerer confirmed, just as the three after him had: the crystal contained part of Clef's soul. Measures had been taken to invoke the spirit fragment, but it only continued to glow faintly, a pale, sickly reddish shade.

Since the verdict, Umi sat in her room, curled up on her bed, arms and legs wrapped around her pillow, all shades drawn throughout the day. She hadn't eaten the meals delivered, her favorite dishes. She wouldn't react to her mother's touch, nor her father's voice. None of his words penetrated the fog in her brain, only his tone. He was consoling, but it was useless. Yet Umi hadn't cried a single tear. That scared her the most, so she let her thoughts fade until they were consumed by fog, unable to think about her doubts. Had she really loved Clef at all? She had been beyond happiness when she found him after the execution. She still remembered the utter devastation that destroyed her world when the trapdoor opened under his feet and the rope snapped tight. But did she really love him?

She hardly recognized Eagle when his ship landed. Autozam suited him far better than his Cephirian status. His eyes were kind and honest; there was no hard line or shade of deceit when he addressed her father. She could tell by the stiffness in his shoulders that he knew she was beside her father, but he wouldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. His first officer, however, had no trouble scowling at her.

Recalling those memories slowly stirred activity in the back of her brain. What appeared to be random images flashed through her mind: Clef's funeral; a pearly skinned woman with a black veil, floating above her; Lantis moving on top; Ferio pushing his own dagger into her hand, pressing the point to his chest. She shook her head but the thoughts wouldn't be silenced.

'_It's not your fault you know. You are who and what you are. You were just simply born that way, you accept it and make most you can with it…'_

_With what?_ Umi thought. _What am I that I can use?_ The first image that flashed through her mind stole the wind from her lungs and made her heart pause. Lantis moving rhythmically over her. She froze, as though holding still would give the memory time to leave, then realization to wash over her; that never happened. It was only a dream that she gave herself to Lantis, then only in Clef's wake. But that would never have happened anyway! Lantis was faithful to Hikaru and despite her reputation, Umi had never surrendered her body to any man! 'Death before Dishonor,' was the first, and most important lesson her mother had taught her. Never give what is not disserved; until she grew old enough for Clef, there had never been any man she deemed worthy.

She swallowed. _Is that it? My reputation?_ She slowly buried her face in her pillow and clutched it tight to her body. _My reputation as a whore? Is that what I am?_

Sandara watched Umi's expression from the dark corner on the room. _Maybe there was something to you after all…_ she thought_. Oh well._

* * *

Ryuuzaki's carriage stopped in the circular drive in front of Lord Yeeshe's manor. The footman opened the door and stood at attention. Ryuuzaki slowly climbed from the carriage and nodded to the footman as he passed. The footman closed the door and jumped on the back as the carriage drove away. Ryuuzaki paused at the foot of the stone stair and looked up the three story manor. Blue battlements with gold symbols hung from the barristers and all windows were dark, blocked from prying eyes.

The small wooden door in the grander gate opened and a servant popped out. He bowed hastily to Ryuuzaki and gestured for him to move inside. Ryuuzaki tucked his chin and subtly straightened his back before sweeping past the servant.

The entrance hall was just as dreary as the outside stones. The left wall was blackened from the fireplace at the base and the master stair on the right lethargically stretched and yawned onto the second floor balcony. The stair resumed on the left side of the second balcony and narrowed gradually until it connected with the third floor. More of the blue battlements hung from the walls and from the balconies, brushing the air just above where a man's head would be.

The servant appeared at Ryuuzaki's side with a torch, and stepped in front of him, walking toward the back. Ryuuzaki followed tentatively. Something was off. The medieval interior of Lord Yeeshe's home had never seemed so foreboding before. Perhaps it was simply because none of the warm light outside was allowed through the windows. Yes, that was it.

The servant lead Ryuuzaki through the labyrinth-like kitchen and out through a back door into the servant gardens. Beds of herbs stood desolate, yet flowering. The gravel underfoot crunched quietly under their boots and swiftly ran out. The servant turned right sharply and disappeared up to the waist in undergrowth. Ryuuzaki waved his hand and the shrubs parted before him, closing behind him. The vegetation parted for him until he emerged behind the servant in a wide clearing, lined with cadets from the Academy and soldiers from the Public Protection Headquarters. He stopped and gazed at each of them and each face he saw seemed as surprised as he was. They shifted uneasily and looked at each other, occasionally glancing at the center of the clearing.

Sixteen men sat around a wide wooden table; only one chair was empty and Ryuuzaki took a seat there. He looked around the table and only three of the Lords met his eyes, the others pretended not to notice him.

Rajin and a man with wild hair, Lord Yeeshe, were quietly discussing on the opposite side of the table. They didn't stop until Ryuuzaki cleared his throat.

Yeeshe found something about his fingernails to preoccupy himself with while Rajin slowly turned toward Ryuuzaki. "Glad you could join us Ryuuzaki," he said coolly.

Ryuuzaki's eyes narrowed. Something was _definitely_ off. He'd never arrived less than half an hour early for any of the Reformation meetings. Yet all the Lords were already seated and through at least one glass of wine each. The presence of the guards didn't ease his nerves either, and from the looks on their faces, they hadn't expected him.

"My apologies," he said lowly. "I didn't realize I was late."

Rajin's eyes twinkled before he swallowed, obviously checking himself from saying something particularly delicious. "Understandable," he said at length. "Such trivial matters do not impede the bigger picture."

Ryuuzaki sat up straight and tall, his frosty eyes glowed as his magic snapped around his hands. He managed to curl the electricity back into his fingers, but it only succeeded in brightening the glacial glow in his eyes. Surely Rajin hadn't dared…

"The bigger picture," Ryuuzaki repeated drolly. "Perhaps we should begin our discussion on how to shape this… bigger picture. I would rather not be away from my daughter any more than necessary."

Rajin nodded, but the gleam was coming back into his eyes. Ryuuzaki was finding it more and more difficult to control the electricity in his fingers. "Let's get on with it," Rajin said, the words rumbling in his throat.

This seemed to signal the soldiers around them, although they hesitated, they drew in closer together.

"Pay no mind to the guards," Rajin said. "They're merely here to secure our safety. I would recommend that you ignore their presence."

Ryuuzaki ignored all the other Lords and locked eyes with Rajin. "What is this bigger picture? I think we should discuss it." Ryuuzaki enunciated every syllable as he spoke.

The hungry gleam in Rajin's eyes was blatantly obvious. He leaned back in his chair and let his wrists lazily rest on the chair arms. "Cephiro is moving toward a new era. The Pillar System has disintegrated and the Guru will withdraw 'officially' within days. The people are ready to take matters into their own hands.

"The government will be reshaped. The riots proved the lack of competency within the monarchy. Such a system holds no real power, and a weak king will not be respected or revered in the wider arena. Cephiro must find its place amongst our neighboring worlds. And, with a little thanks to you, we now have a powerful ally in Autozam. Their technologies will greatly compliment our magic and our magic will heal their sickness. Fair trade, I think."

Ryuuzaki waited, straining his ears to listen to the tiny metal clicks behind him as the soldiers and cadets drew closer and closer. "And what of the Protection Council? The Academy?"

Rajin's features turned black, the gleam in his eye lost as his head tilted down. "They will continue to serve their purpose."

"Tell me, did Councilman Lantis agree to-"

"Lantis has done nothing save flee," Rajin interjected. The gleam came back as his mouth pulled up in a smirk. "Councilman Innova has seen fit to protect all crucial players."

"_Councilman Innova?_ There was to be no vote unless all Lords were present!" Ryuuzaki roared as he jumped to his feet. A heavy hand from the soldier behind him gripped his shoulder and arrested him. Ryuuzaki shot a death glare at the man and his hand recoiled. The man stepped back and hastily rearranged the last few pieces of the contraption in his hands, some sort of freakish helmet.

"And all _were_ present three days ago," Rajin said as he got up and pressed his fingertips on the table. The other Lords shifted away from Ryuuzaki as lightning began to spark around his eyes.

Rajin didn't blink. He reached in his surcoat and withdrew a folded piece of parchment with the Cephirian royal seal, King Ferio's signature. He pressed it to the table under his hand. "Tenchi Ryuuzaki, evidence has recently been found that leads this Council of Lords to conclude that you yourself have created and upheld this myth of a Guru of Cephiro-"

Ryuuzaki opened his mouth to roar protest when the man behind him slammed the helmet down on his head and turned the switch. Gears and cogs turned then snapped into place. Ryuuzaki suddenly felt all his magic disappear. Two more soldiers grabbed his arms and pushed him down in his chair. The shock from losing his magic wouldn't let his mind register the iron shackles snapping shut around his wrists.

Rajin continued with ambitious zeal. "Manuscripts have been found in the former Councilman's bed chamber and similar documents have been recovered from your manor. The handwritings match! Tenchi Ryuuzaki, you are hereby judged guilty by your peers of falsifying evidence and attempting to establish yourself in a status that would eclipse the monarchy. In the name of King Ferio, you are hereby sentenced to hang from the neck until dead this evening."

Ryuuzaki couldn't speak. The whole scenario was too preposterous to acknowledge with a word. He watched Rajin stalk around the edge of the table, behind all the Lords with their heads bowed in shame. Two soldiers yanked Ryuuzaki up to his feet and stood him in front of Rajin.

Rajin grinned crookedly in Ryuuzaki's face. "Thank God we found you out before you could do any _real_ damage," he hissed.

Ryuuzaki watched as Rajin's grin broadened then rammed his head in Rajin's face. Blood splashed in his eyes and metal rods slashed his forehead as the helmet broke from impact. His magic surged through his body, howling to match his roar as he unleashed lightning from his hands and struck the soldiers within range. The shackles disintegrated around his wrists.

Soldiers drew their swords and cast shields in front of them as they darted around the lightning, trying to form a perimeter. Ryuuzaki swung his arm out and a thick blade of pulsing white light sliced through the air. The soldiers dropped to their stomachs and covered their heads. The wave plowed through the trees; Ryuuzaki sprinted after it.

"AFTER HIM!!" Rajin roared. Blood poured down his face from the gashes in his forehead and around his eye. He yanked his sword from its sheath and lunged after Ryuuzaki.

Ryuuzaki reached the servant gardens and stopped abruptly. He threw his arm up as Rajin drew his sword back and swung. A blinding pharos swallowed Ryuuzaki and shot up into the sky as Rajin's sword cleaved the air where his neck had been.

* * *

Ever since her father had left, Umi struggled to find a comfortable position on her bed. The revelation that her reputation as a whore and a heavy flirt was the only way to characterize herself left her numb and restless. There had to be more to her than that! There had to be! But no matter how many times she told herself, her mind wouldn't believe it.

Clef couldn't have loved her if she was really that way. A man like him wasn't desperate. His only wish had been to find someone who could love him as he was. As an immortal, he had all the time in eternity to find that woman. He wouldn't settle for a harlot like her. He wasn't desperate.

She lifted her head out of the pillow, not seeing Death standing in the corner, watching her intently. She must have stared at the sunlit outline around her door for the longest time before she finally left her pillow on the bed and drifted toward the door. She was not worthy of what she was to do. She was not worthy to even think his name. There was simply no other option.

She glided silently through the hallways, aiming for her father's study. Her hand hovered over the handle, pausing. She glanced down at herself, seeing the hint of cleavage in the gap in her robe. She synched it in a mad flash, so tight it made her wince. She pulled the gap in her robes up to her chin. Absolutely no skin was allowed to show.

Finally satisfied with her robes, she left her vanity at the door and pushed the door open wide. Far across the room was all that was left of him. Sickly, pale, and slowly pulsing, the shard sat cushioned in a crystal bowl in the center of her father's desk. Only then did her chest tighten, her stomach clench, her heart burst into shreds in her chest. Clinging to the doorframe, she couldn't keep her feet. Slowly, her knees gave out, handing her to the floor. One hand still clutched the doorframe, the other reached out toward the desk. Tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision. Her body ached too much, the pain spilling out of her heart, to let her sob and wail. She could barely draw shrill gasps into her lungs.

Stretching her fingers toward the crystal bowl, pushing her body toward the desk, she crawled to the foot of the desk. Her fingers brushed the smooth wood finish, searching for the top. One by one, her fingers curled over the edge. One hand. Both hands. She pulled herself up, braced her weight on her knees, and brushed her fingers down the side of the bowl. Reverently, she gripped the bowl in both hands, brought it to her chest, and slid down the side of the desk. She curled her body around the bowl and braced herself against the desk.

A sob shook her so hard the force broke through her teeth. Snot and tears ran down her face. "Clef," she moaned as she traced her finger around the crystal sliver. "Clef… I'm-" She bit her lip, not caring if it bled. "I'm so sorry!" she whimpered. "I'm not like that. I only wanted to be yours!" She bit her lip again and her teeth sliced through. "Please," she squeaked, brushing her finger down the sliver. Warmth flared under her touch. "I need you. Come back… come back," she sobbed.

Sandara watched the pitiful display from the doorway. She shook her head minutely. Silly girl! Just as she opened her mouth to plunge the knife in deeper, she heard a faint humming.

Umi was babbling, making promises she couldn't have fathomed the consequences for. "I need you, please! Come back! I love you!! I'll do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to reach you!" She opened her eyes as a drop fell from her lips. The swirling mixture of blood and tears splattered on the crystal. "But…" she said quietly as she lifted her finger to wipe the blood and tears off. "If you can't come to me… let me come to you." Her tone was softer, less frantic. Perhaps her energy had finally bled out. Yet there was a confident undertone as she stroked the crystal. "I can fix this. All I need is you…"

Her mother and father's voices erupted from the hallway, screaming for her. She lifted her head toward the sound of their running footsteps. Her father's face shot into view.

Then all was white and fire.

A tiny crack, and the crystal burst into a supernova. The raw energy swirled around Umi, punching through her chest and eradicating her skin.

"UMI!!" Ryuuzaki screamed. He dove for his daughter. The white flames sucked into her, hastily avoiding Ryuuzaki. He gathered her in his arms. Lilia fell to her knees beside him. "Umi!!" Ryuuzaki screamed again.

Blackened and bloody, Umi lie unconscious in his arms, but her clothes hadn't been touched. Amidst the bloody and burnt tissue, nestled in her breastbone, was the gleaming, glowing remains of Clef, pulsing with new life.

Angry life.

* * *

The voice was painfully familiar. The flat, yet musical notes in the man's tone brought tears to her eyes. But an instinctual warning in the back of her mind told her not to open her eyes. He couldn't be there.

He was dead.

"Wake up," his voice commanded coldly.

Ghostly gray light flooded her eyes as her eyelids cracked open. A man's silhouette stood over her, blocking the light from a black sun. He nudged her with his boot.

"Wake up."

She raised her hand to defend her face. "Where am I?"

He snorted. "It speaks. That's a surprise."

She started to sit up, only to be kicked mercilessly to the ground.

"But it will not stand."

Had she somehow landed in Lord Rajin's manor? Who else would delight in being so cruel to her? The man walked around her. She followed him with the sound of his boots. They crunched over dry rocks that turned to powder under his weight. He stopped beside her head.

"Who are you?" she asked softly. His demeanor was like Lord Rajin's, but his voice was too much like someone else.

"Why don't you tell me."

She raised her eyes from his boots to his knees. Standard soldier uniform. A silver-tipped, black scabbard was alien to her. It had no cross guard beside his belt. His marred hands tightly gripped the handle, tempted to slash the blade from its resting place. Dried blood had been splattered across his chest and up the side of his neck. The definition in his chest hinted through his uniform. Lean and muscular, not an ounce of him wasn't devoted to his lethal stance. The black sun cast dark shadows across his face. But she instantly recognized his steely eyes.

"Zenosis!" she cried happily. She jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him. "Thank God!"

Two things happened at once, so fast Umi didn't know what happened first. "Wrong," the man growled. He jerked his sword out, punching her ribs with the pommel, drawing a malicious, hungry hiss from behind her.

She spun, holding her side, and screamed. A square, tarnished steel cage sat at her feet. The thin, black cloth covering the bars hid the creature inside. She could barely see its nightmarish outline as it paced about the cage. Its breath hissed through its teeth, claws anxiously scrapping over the steel floor.

"I am not Zenosis," the man snarled, demanding Umi's attention. She spun and he grabbed her face with his hand. "Nor should you thank God. Look around you!" He grabbed a fistful hair at the back of her neck and twisted her to face the edge of the cliff, already under her toes. "Look at what you've done!!"

Umi gasped. Not even in literature could a more devastating landscape have been depicted. Barren, jagged crags of rock pierced the sky, stretching beyond the horizon. Twisted trees with screaming faces in their bark cried to the sky in agony. No wind, yet the sky swirled, devoured by the black hole in the sky, the only source of light. For the endless expanse around them, nothing breathed. She couldn't hear so much as dust crumbling.

"This is all to your gratitude," he growled in her ear. "Look upon your garden, feast upon the fruit you've created."

"No!!" she screamed and tore herself away from him. She narrowly missed the edge as she ran. Dodging boulders in her path, she ran for anywhere else. _That wasn't Zenosis. That was some_thing_ else. _Self preservation pushed her farther and farther into the hellish landscape. Instincts drove her past the point of exhaustion. There had to be an escape. There had to be a way out. She ran until she collapsed.

* * *

Okay... so what's going on here? I'll give you a while to digest this chapter. Reviews are appreciated and preferred. I'll need them to keep this story clear. It'll make perfect sense to me, but it's useless unless the readers can follow; then it's just no fun at all!


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